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Article
Publication date: 11 January 2022

Ximena D. Burgin, Sheila Coli Coli and Mayra C. Daniel

The COVID-19 pandemic is a unique event that forced K-12 schools to rethink the delivery of instruction to protect the well-being of school system stakeholders. Teachers, school…

Abstract

Purpose

The COVID-19 pandemic is a unique event that forced K-12 schools to rethink the delivery of instruction to protect the well-being of school system stakeholders. Teachers, school administrators and parents had to adapt to and embrace new ways of teaching and learning by utilizing available technology. The purpose of this study is to examine the challenges encountered by in-service teachers when moving from face-to-face to online teaching.

Design/methodology/approach

This study utilized a qualitative phenomenological research methodology to examine Ecuadorian and Uruguayan teachers' perceptions and experiences transitioning from face-to-face to online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic. This comparative study used convenience sampling to include 12 K-12 teachers from Ecuador and Uruguay.

Findings

The results of this study produced two themes that evidenced the demands placed on educators. The first theme was job demands, relating to teachers' perceptions about workload, preparation time and curriculum issues. The second theme related to available support provided by the school administrators and technology issues faced by teachers and students. Even though the teachers demonstrated adaptability for educating students during the pandemic, the experiences from both countries should be considered by teacher training programs and in post-graduate professional development.

Originality/value

This article examined how COVID-19 affected teachers in Uruguay and Ecuador. Data analysis documented the challenges encountered by teachers transitioning to online learning during the pandemic. The findings inform a larger audience about the needs of teachers working online.

Details

International Journal of Comparative Education and Development, vol. 24 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2396-7404

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 26 November 2018

Wendy Rowe, Wanda Krause, Gary Hayes, Lisa Corak, Robert Sean Wilcox, Robert Vargas, Fabricio Varela, Fabricio Cordova, Shina Boparai and Gesow Azam

Recognizing the need to build global-minded citizens, higher education institutions are increasingly trying to find ways to leverage their international programs to develop…

Abstract

Recognizing the need to build global-minded citizens, higher education institutions are increasingly trying to find ways to leverage their international programs to develop students’ intercultural competence. The MA in global leadership at Royal Roads University, Canada, created an international partnership in Ecuador that serves to go beyond the traditional student study abroad or service learning focus and instead focuses on developing competencies of global mindedness and strategic relationships. In this chapter, we present an analysis of how an international student group engaged in building dynamic partnerships within a Global South country to create change for sustainable development initiatives of mutual concern. Through a case example, we describe how these partnerships evolved and adapted in ways that enhanced the learning needs of the students while simultaneously supporting the development of new educational opportunities for Ecuadorians. To illustrate, this chapter delineates the activities that members of the program undertook to connect and develop a mutuality of relationship across diverse stakeholders in Ecuador. The authors analyze this network-building process from the perspective of cultural context, building trust and influence, and responding to social development needs of host communities.

Book part
Publication date: 1 January 2014

Matthew Aruch, Ana Loja and James B. Sanders

Responding to local, regional and international demands and initiatives, the government of Ecuador has rolled out an innovative program Sistema Integral de Tecnologías para la

Abstract

Responding to local, regional and international demands and initiatives, the government of Ecuador has rolled out an innovative program Sistema Integral de Tecnologías para la Escuela y la Comunidad (SíTEC) to place information, and communication technologies (ICTs) into the hands of students, teachers, and other educational institutions. SíTEC draws upon several elements of social entrepreneurship and has successfully reached some of the most regionally remote and culturally diverse communities in the country. The SíTEC program is emblematic of many of the criteria set forth regarding social entrepreneurship including the vision of leadership, the focus on a social mission and the importance of innovation in partnership and resource allocation. This study looks at survey and interview data from the Shiña community teachers and school leaders to determine the effects of the SíTEC program and the availability and use of ICTs in schools, SíTEC has equipped public schools with computers, projectors, digital boards, and Internet. Additionally, SíTEC organizes training courses on ICTs for public school teachers and provides schools with educational software available in Spanish, Kichwa, Shuar, and English. While there is still much work to be done, SíTEC and the associated partnerships and programs are beginning to have impact in their specified outcomes. Creative partnerships developed within the Ministry of Education, Office of Bilingual Education, Shiña community have allowed for communication and exchange of knowledge and resources across multiple partners. This chapter explores SíTEC as an innovative government-based program that meets targeted social outcomes in ICTs and education.

Article
Publication date: 15 September 2023

Oliver James Carrick

The COVID-19 pandemic caused schools across the world to close their physical facilities and switch from face-to-face classes to remote learning. This research investigates the…

Abstract

Purpose

The COVID-19 pandemic caused schools across the world to close their physical facilities and switch from face-to-face classes to remote learning. This research investigates the consequences of school closures during the pandemic on families and children from marginalized sections of society. The setting of the Galapagos Islands is characterized by poor Internet access and performance, resulting in a detrimental effect on the education of students from vulnerable sectors of society.

Design/methodology/approach

Using data from an empirical context, this case study seeks to enhance statistical results from a provincial level household survey with quantitative information from participatory development planning workshops and plans.

Findings

Statistical analysis evidences the compound effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the more vulnerable families living in the Galapagos. Both economic wellbeing and children's ability to attend classes online during school closures were linked to respondents' education levels. Participatory development planning workshops highlighted further inequality, and the plans resultant from the process sought to overcome challenges and address needs by contextualizing education for sustainable island living.

Originality/value

This case study emphasizes the impact of school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic on vulnerable sectors of society. In the Galapagos Islands, the response to the compound effect of the pandemic and the other situational challenges has been to contextualize the educational curriculum towards the goal of sustainable living. The lessons learned from this experience will be applicable to other remote island groups.

Details

International Journal of Comparative Education and Development, vol. 25 no. 3/4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2396-7404

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 March 2023

Patricia Aguirre, Freddy Hernán Villota and Silvia Mera

According to the importance of higher education institutions (HEIs) in meeting sustainable development goals (SDGs), the purpose of this study is to analyze how sustainability was…

Abstract

Purpose

According to the importance of higher education institutions (HEIs) in meeting sustainable development goals (SDGs), the purpose of this study is to analyze how sustainability was implemented in Ecuadorian higher education. The case study of the Universidad Técnica del Norte (UTN) process was analyzed to show the advantages of implementing projects with SD approaches.

Design/methodology/approach

This study includes an analytic-synthetic method. In the case study, a longitudinal-documentary method was used to analyze the projects implemented in the UTN. The primary source of information corresponds to reports, minutes, publications, interviews and surveys from the academic staff of UTN, which can be found in the Postgraduate Institute of the UTN archives.

Findings

Projects implemented at UTN facilitated the development of skills in the participating university community and influenced the general organizational development of the university. Likewise, the potential benefits of the projects in each of the components are highlighted, so that social learning and the development of skills in students and teachers have been facilitated, focusing on internationalization.

Research limitations/implications

The population analyzed corresponds to Ecuadorian universities and technical institutes, however, access to information from all HEIs is limited, due to processing time and economic resources.

Practical implications

This study presents implications for representatives of higher education and policymakers at the national level since the positive aspects can be rescued to promote the sustainable performance of HEIs.

Social implications

HEIs train ethical professionals capable of transforming the world. The study shows successful experiences that can be used by other HEIs to have a positive impact on society, providing a sustainable future. In addition, UTN has prioritized the initiative of the students in several activities.

Originality/value

The primary information for the case study comes from the experiences obtained during the international cooperation projects of the UTN. Positive findings and limitations have been identified, which are published with the purpose of contributing to the scientific community.

Details

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, vol. 24 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1467-6370

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 January 2014

Nelson Piedra, Edmundo Tovar, Ricardo Colomo-Palacios, Jorge Lopez-Vargas and Janneth Alexandra Chicaiza

The aim of this paper is to present an initiative to apply the principles of Linked Data to enhance the search and discovery of OpenCourseWare (OCW) contents created and shared by…

1252

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to present an initiative to apply the principles of Linked Data to enhance the search and discovery of OpenCourseWare (OCW) contents created and shared by the universities.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is a case study of how linked data technologies can be applied for the enhancement of open learning contents.

Findings

Results presented under the umbrella of OCW-Universia consortium, as the integration and access to content from different repositories OCW and the development of a query method to access these data, reveal that linked data would offer a solution to filter and select semantically those open educational contents, and automatically are linked to the linked open data cloud.

Originality/value

The new OCW-Universia integration with linked data adds new features to the initial framework including improved query mechanisms and interoperability.

Details

Program, vol. 48 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0033-0337

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 November 2020

Juan Carlos Aguirre, Marco Leonardo Peralta Zuñiga, Pedro Mora and Francisco Blanco

This article is based on the assumption that entrepreneurship improves quality of life (HDI). Its main objective is to establish causal relationships between entrepreneurship…

Abstract

Purpose

This article is based on the assumption that entrepreneurship improves quality of life (HDI). Its main objective is to establish causal relationships between entrepreneurship variables such as credits, innovation (R&D), business growth, foreign direct investment and the Global Competitiveness Index and how these have influenced a country's development.

Design/methodology/approach

To analyse and validate this assumption, relevant information has been extracted about Ecuador (the subject of the study) for the 1998–2017 period. The information has received the respective econometric treatment, through a multivariate estimation by the autoregressive vector (ARV) method that made it possible to establish impulse-response functions.

Results

The results indicate that there is a significant and positive statistical impact between the variables related to entrepreneurship and quality of life (HDI), with the exception of “Innovation”, which is not representative in the model, demonstrating that the investment made at country level in R&D is not sufficient to have an impact on the HDI. It was also determined that promoting entrepreneurship would be useful as this would alter the trend of the variables, making them conducive to increasing the HDI.

Originality/value

This article is one of the few to address this issue. It includes the self-regressive vector model as a key methodology used to evaluate and establish public policies. RVM has provided positive results in the field of economics and can be adopted in the area of entrepreneurship.

Propósito

El presente artículo se basa en el supuesto de que el emprendimiento mejora la calidad de vida de los individuos (IDH), siendo el objetivo principal establecer relaciones causales entre variables de emprendimiento como: Créditos, Innovación (I + D), Crecimiento Empresarial, Inversión Extranjera Directa e Índice de Competitividad Global; y, como estas han influido en el desarrollo de un país.

Diseño/metodología/enfoque

Para el análisis y validación del supuesto mencionado anteriormente, se ha extraído información relevante sobre el Ecuador (sujeto de estudio) para el período comprendido entre 1998 y 2017, a los cuales se les ha dado el respectivo tratamiento econométrico, a través de una estimación multivariante por el método de Vectores Autorregresivos (VAR) que permitió establecer funciones de impulso – respuesta.

Resultados

Los resultados señalan que existe una significativa incidencia estadística entre las variables relacionadas con el emprendimiento y la calidad de vida (IDH) de manera positiva, a excepción de la “Innovación” que no tiene representatividad en el modelo, demostrando que la inversión realizada a nivel país en I + D es insuficiente para impactar el IDH. También se determinó la conveniencia de impulsar el emprendimiento, pues esto cambia la tendencia de las variables haciéndolas favorables para el crecimiento del IDH.

Originalidad/valor

Este artículo es uno de los pocos en abordar esta problemática, además incluye el Modelo de Vectores Autorregresivos como una metodología clave para evaluar y establecer políticas públicas, que ha brindado resultados positivos en el campo de la Economía y que puede adoptarse en la rama del Emprendimiento.

Details

Academia Revista Latinoamericana de Administración, vol. 34 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1012-8255

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 19 August 2020

Haydeé Ramírez Lozada

Focusing on the theory of a humanizing pedagogy implies the building of an academic freedom in class to seek for students’ critical thinking and development. To achieve this aim…

Abstract

Focusing on the theory of a humanizing pedagogy implies the building of an academic freedom in class to seek for students’ critical thinking and development. To achieve this aim, a qualitative investigation was carried out with 27 eighth-level Applied Linguistics School students who were undergoing their degree process at the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador in Esmeraldas, from 2018 to 2019. The teacher in charge of the subjects degree I and degree II taught the students with a humanistic approach, by means of which the students were encouraged to investigate the real problems on English language teaching (ELT) faced in their community, guiding the students to look for proposals to solve these problems. A humanistic theoretical approach was designed to lead the students’ research process taking into consideration three important dimensions: ELT contextualized assessment, ELT innovative intervention and ELT experiment projection. As a result of the process, 27 educative research projects, which mainly focused on free innovative didactic ELT methods, methodologies, strategies and didactic materials, were carried out with successful results for the ELT community in Esmeraldas, since teachers were provided with the necessary tools to get the students involved in the teaching–learning process to improve their English level.

Details

Integrating Community Service into Curriculum: International Perspectives on Humanizing Education
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83909-434-7

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 23 August 2012

Carlos Gradín

The goal of this study was to use census information to measure the level of occupational segregation of workers of African descent with respect to whites in various Latin…

Abstract

The goal of this study was to use census information to measure the level of occupational segregation of workers of African descent with respect to whites in various Latin American countries. I further investigated the extent to which segregation levels can be accounted for by different workers’ characteristics. The results show that Afro-Latinos are generally highly segregated across occupations but with high heterogeneity across countries. A large proportion of this segregation would not exist if Afro-Latinos had attained the same education as whites in Brazil and Ecuador, where most segregation occurs across major occupational categories. However, the proportion of occupational segregation explained by educational inequalities is much lower in other countries, where most segregation occurs within the major occupational groups. Further, occupational segregation would be even higher, especially in Costa Rica, if the geographical distribution of black and white populations were similar across these countries.

Details

Inequality, Mobility and Segregation: Essays in Honor of Jacques Silber
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78190-171-7

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 September 2020

Elena Monserrath Jerves, Lucia De Haene, Peter Rober and Paul Enzlin

The purpose of this study is to examine the association between parental migration and adolescents’ styles of close relationships with parents, friends and romantic partners.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the association between parental migration and adolescents’ styles of close relationships with parents, friends and romantic partners.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 197 adolescents from Cuenca (Ecuador) participated in the study, of which 35% reported a background of parental migration. The Behavioral Systems Questionnaire was used to assess participants’ relational styles.

Findings

The study reveals that, although parental migration is associated with the development of lower secure styles for parents and friends, it is not associated with the development of insecure styles. Moreover, parental migration does not appear to be associated with the development of romantic styles. Based on the differential impact of the migration of one or two parents, the migration of two parents appeared to have a stronger association with lower secure styles.

Originality/value

The results are discussed in light of the socio-cultural context in which parental migration occurs in Ecuador, which may offer clue variables in shaping the relational styles of adolescents. The study addresses an important consequence of migration focusing on a scarce studies group, adolescents who stay in their home country while their parents migrate. Moreover, its main findings challenge the preconceptions that parent-child separations necessarily involve a direct negative impact on relational functioning.

Details

International Journal of Migration, Health and Social Care, vol. 16 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1747-9894

Keywords

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